NU Set to Begin Big 12 Tournament

The Nebraska softball team (33-19, 9-9 Big 12) heads to the Big 12 Tournament in Oklahoma City, Okla., this week to defend its 2004 tournament title. The road to the championship will be a long one, as NU will have to participate in the play-in round for the first time in school history.

The Huskers, the No. 7 seed, open play against 10th-seeded Iowa State at 5 p.m. on Wednesday. With a victory over the Cyclones, NU would advance to the first round of the tournament to face second-seeded Oklahoma. A loss would mark the end of the tournament for Nebraska and would leave the Huskers awaiting their postseason fate.

NU finished as the seventh seed after splitting a pair of games with 15th-ranked Missouri last weekend. The Huskers entered the weekend in sixth place, one game behind the Tigers. The split left NU still a game back, but a sweep of Iowa State by Kansas vaulted the Jayhawks to the sixth seed and left the Huskers as the seventh seed.

Against Missouri, NU sophomore right-hander Ashley DeBuhr allowed just two earned runs in 13 innings. In game one, DeBuhr allowed one run on just three hits, while striking out six. Sophomore Jamie Waldecker gave NU a 1-0 lead with her sixth home run of the season, a solo shot in the top of the second inning. Missouri tied the game with a solo home run of its own, but junior Trisha Tannahill doubled home junior Elizabeth Rock with the winning run in the top of the sixth inning.

In game two, DeBuhr again threw well, but Missouri's Erin Kalka silenced the Husker bats with a complete game, three-hit shutout. DeBuhr held MU to only four hits, but another solo home run proved to be the difference. Nebraska had base runners in just three innings while being shut out for the second time in three games.

Despite the loss, NU enters the Big 12 Tournament with a 3-2 record in its last five games. Each of NU's last five games were on the road and four of the games came against top-15 teams.

Nebraska began the stretch by scoring 10 unanswered runs in a wild 11-5 come-from-behind, extra-inning victory at Iowa State, the Huskers' next opponent. NU came back to defeat 10th-ranked Oklahoma 6-4 in Norman, before losing the second game of the series, 4-0. Nebraska opened last weekend with the hard-fought 2-1 victory over the 15th-ranked Tigers, before losing on Sunday.

History will be on Nebraska's side in Oklahoma City, as the Huskers have claimed as many Big 12 titles as any school (three, tied with Texas) and have posted the best record of any school in the nine-year history of the tournament. NU is 26-11 (.703) all-time at the Big 12 Tournament, while OU is second with a 26-13 (.667) record.

Fans can follow the action of this week's tournament on Huskers.com. Live stats will be available for every game the Huskers play and live radio will also be available, with Nate Rohr handling play-by-play duties and Theresa Becker adding color commentary.
 
Scouting Iowa State (18-31, 3-15 Big 12 Conference)
Iowa State dropped a pair of home games to Kansas last weekend to finish in last place in the final regular-season Big 12 standings. The Cyclones were just 3-15 in league play, which matched the mark of Texas Tech, but Tech swept ISU in two meetings this year.

Iowa State is led offensively by Katie Reichling, who paces the team with a .325 average and 10 doubles. Reichling has also added three home runs and boasts a .504 slugging percentage and a .455 on-base percentage. As a team, ISU is hitting just .211, as Reichling is the only Cyclone starter hitting better than .260.

In the circle, Alyssa Ransom (11-19) has thrown 182.2 innings, tops on the team. She has compiled a 2.99 ERA and has struck out 105 batters this season. Reiching (7-10) has also seen extensive action in the circle, posting a team-best 2.86 ERA in 124.2 innings.

ISU has lost five of its last eight games, but two of its three wins in that stretch came against sixth-ranked Texas and No. 11 Baylor.

Last Time We Met
Nebraska swept the regular-season meetings from Iowa State in memorable fashion. The teams first met in Lincoln on April 13 when sophomore right-hander Ashley DeBuhr tossed the third perfect game in school history. She retired 21 straight Cyclones on just 81 pitches and struck out 10. DeBuhr's efforts were needed as the Husker offense managed only two runs in the 2-0 victory. The Huskers' only runs came home on an error and a bases-loaded hit batter.

The second meeting between the teams was just as memorable for NU, but for a completely different reason. Mired in an offensive slump, NU fell behind 5-1 after two innings before scoring 10 unanswered runs to post an 11-5 eight-inning victory for its first win in six extra-inning games.

Trailing 5-1, sophomore Devin Porter closed the gap to one by hitting a three-run home run, the first of her career, in the fourth inning. Junior Katie Linke then singled home senior Sheena Lawrick in the fifth inning to tie the game.

In the eighth, NU had a runner on second with two outs before an error and a single loaded the bases for junior Elizabeth Rock. Rock recorded her first triple, a shot to the wall in right field, to clear the bases and put Nebraska up 8-5. Lawrick then brought Rock home with an RBI single and junior Trisha Tannahill capped the six-run, two-out rally with a two-run homer.

The Huskers had been no-hit by Oklahoma State's Marjorie Johnson in their last game and responded by pounding out 17 hits against the Cyclones.

Nebraska leads the series, 58-14, vs. ISU. NU posted 13 straight victories in the series and have claimed 22 of the last 23 contests.

Big 12 Tournament Seeds & Records
In the nine-year history of the Big 12 Tournament, either a No.1 or No. 2 seed has won every tournament title. Below is a look at how each seed has fared all-time at the Big 12 Tournament:
Seed Record (Win Pct.)
No. 1 29-8 (.784)
No. 2 25-13 (.658)
No. 3 16-16 (.500)
No. 4 19-15 (.559)
No. 5 17-17 (.500)
No. 6 7-17 (.292)
No. 7 9-14 (.391)
No. 8 10-17 (.370)
No. 9 0-8 (.000)
No. 10 4-11 (.267)

Big 12 Tournament Records
The Nebraska softball team has a 26-11 all-time record at the Big 12 Tournament. NU's 26 victories tie with Oklahoma for the most in the league, while the Huskers' .703 tournament winning percentage is tops in the league. The Huskers' three tournament titles also tie with Texas for the most in the conference. NU is one of only two teams to post more than 17 victories in the history of the Big 12 Tournament and is one of only three teams that claim a winning record at the tournament. Below is a breakdown of the all-time Big 12 Tournament record of every team in the conference:
Team Record (Win Pct.)
Baylor 7-14 (.333)
Iowa State 4-12 (.250)
Kansas 10-15 (.400)
Missouri 13-14 (.481)
Nebraska 26-11 (.703)
Oklahoma 26-13 (.667)
Oklahoma State 13-18 (.419)
Texas 17-10 (.630)
Texas A&M 12-15 (.444)
Texas Tech 8-14 (.364)

Recaping the 2004 Big 12 Tournament
Nebraska went a perfect 4-0 at the 2004 Big 12 Tournament to claim its third tournament title, tying Texas for the most in the league. The Huskers, the top seed after winning the regular-season title, opened play with a 2-1 come-from-behind victory over No. 7-seed Texas. Jessica Yoachim produced a two-run double in the bottom of the fifth inning to erase a 1-0 deficit and propel the Huskers to victory.

NU then knocked off 21st-ranked Oklahoma in dominating fashion, 7-0, behind the second perfect game in school history from Peaches James. The Huskers went on to face No. 19 Baylor and fell behind 1-0 before exploding for a 10-run inning - the largest inning of the season - to rout the Lady Bears 10-1 in five innings.

In the championship game, NU defeated Missouri 1-0 behind another dominating effort from James, who struck out 16 Tigers in a complete-game shutout victory.

Leading Off
Entering tournament week, Nebraska has excelled at getting the leadoff hitter on base this season. Batters leading off the inning have recorded a hit 112 times in 316 at bats for a .366 average. Leadoff hitters have also drawn 26 walks this season. Overall, a Nebraska hitter leading off an inning reaches base 51 percent of the time.

Kier Set to Return
Sophomore Carmen Kier, who has been sidelined by an injury since April 18, has recovered from knee surgery and is available for this week's Big 12 Tournament.

Kier had started eight straight games in left field before suffering the injury. Her 10 walks and .388 on-base percentage could bolster the bottom of the Huskers' lineup, although freshman Cassie Kleinsmith has played well in Kier's absence.

DeBuhr Delivers
Although she went just 1-1, sophomore right-hander Ashley DeBuhr put together back-to-back outstanding outings against a potent Missouri lineup last weekend in Columbia, Mo. In two starts, DeBuhr allowed just two runs to post a 1.08 ERA.

Both runs came via solo home runs as Missouri hit just .159 against her and struck out 10 times in 13 innings.

Porter Emerging
Sophomore Devin Porter has picked up her offense during the Big 12 season and has been particularly strong lately. Porter went 3-for-6 with a double against Missouri last weekend, accounting for three of Nebraska's seven hits on the road trip.

Over her last five games, the Lakewood, Calif., native is 6-for-16 (.375) with four RBIs. Included in that stretch is her first career home run, a three-run shot at Iowa State on April 27. On the season, Porter is batting .231, but in Big 12 games only, she ranks second on the team with a .286 average and three doubles.

Above Average
Senior Anne Steffan and junior Elizabeth Rock both are on pace to post season averages that would rank in the top five in school history. Rock, who recently dipped below the .400 mark for the first time this season, is hitting .379, while Steffan boasts an average of .414. The two are leading the way for Nebraska to have the fourth-best team batting average in school history (.285).

If the season were to end today, Steffan, Rock and junior Jessica Yoachim (.352) would each finish with averages ranking in the top 20 in school history. That would mark just the second time in school history three teammates finished in the top 20 in the same season, joining the 1995 trio of Ali Viola, Tobin Echo-Hawk and Gloria Von Rentzell.

Senior Sheena Lawrick sits just outside the top 20 with a .331 average. If she were to raise her average by .016, the 2005 Cornhuskers would become the first team in school history to have four teammates post top-20 averages.

DeBuhr Sets Record
Sophomore right-hander Ashley DeBuhr struck out 10 batters in two games last week to increase her season total to 270. With her 236th strikeout against Oklahoma State on April 24, DeBuhr broke Jenny Voss' Nebraska sophomore strikeout record of 235, set in 1998.

DeBuhr has a chance to become only the second player in school history to record 300 strikeouts in a season. Peaches James became the first to top 300 strikeouts last season when she struck out a school-record 394 batters. DeBuhr currently ranks fourth on the NU single-season strikeout chart, just eight shy of Leigh Ann Walker's third-place total of 278.

Huskers Nearing 35 Wins
With two wins at the Big 12 Tournament this week, the Huskers would reach the 35-win mark for the eighth straight season. With a victory over Oklahoma State on April 23, NU improved to 30-16 on the season, marking the eighth straight season the Huskers won at least 30 games.

Record Sacrifices
Junior Elizabeth Rock leads the team with 22 sacrifices this season. Rock, who is only the fifth player in school history to record 20 sacrifices in a season, is currently tied for first on the Nebraska single-season list, equaling the school record orginally set by Deanne Carr. Rock currently leads the Big 12 Conference and ranks in the top five in the nation with an average of .42 sacrifices per game.

Power Surge
The Huskers belted two home runs against Iowa State on April 27, marking the first time this season they hit more than one home run in a game. Sophomore Devin Porter hit her first career home run in the win and junior Trisha Tannahill added her career-high third of the season. Tannahill entered the year having hit only two career home runs.

Offensive Explosion
After being shut out in two of its previous three Big 12 contests, the Nebraska offensive exploded for 11 runs on 15 hits in an 11-5 eight-inning comeback victory at Iowa State on April 13. NU then produced six runs on 12 hits against 10th-ranked Oklahoma in its next game.

The Huskers had 23 base runners in the game against ISU and had the leadoff hitter reach in five of the eight innings. NU's six-run fifth inning represented the second-most runs the Huskers have scored in any inning this season.

Nebraska also recorded back-to-back-to-back hits in three different innings versus the Cyclones, highlighted by a three-run triple, an RBI single and a two-run home run with two outs in consecutive at bats in the eighth.

A season-high five Huskers produced multi-hit games and four added multi-RBI games against the Cyclones.

In the Oklahoma game, Nebraska produced a four-run fourth inning with timely hitting and added more timely hitting in a two-run seventh inning that proved to be the difference. NU leadoff hitters recorded a hit in five of the seven innings to pace the Huskers' 12-hit attack.

Yoachim On a Roll
Junior Jessica Yoachim has hit safely in 11 of her last 12 games in which she has recorded an official at bat, including four multi-hit games over that stretch. Against Missouri on Saturday, Yoachim did not record an official at bat, finishing 0-for-0 with a sacrifice and a career-high two walks. On Sunday against the Tigers, Yoachim went 1-for-3 and was one of just three Huskers to record a hit.

Yoachim went 4-for-12 (.333) two weeks ago after posting a .417 average (5-for-12) the previous week.

In Big 12 play, Yoachim is hitting a team-best .321 with 11 runs scored and eight stolen bases. She was also perfect in the field in her first 44 chances in league play, before committing her first error against Missouri on Sunday.

Yoachim Scores 100th Career Run
Junior Jessica Yoachim, who earlier this season recorded the 100th hit of her career, reached another career milestone against Iowa State on April 27. When Yoachim scored the Huskers' seventh run of the game in the top of the eighth inning, it not only proved to be the game-winning run, but was the 100th run of her career. Yoachim joined senior teammate Anne Steffan as the only active Huskers to score 100 career runs.

Triple Your Pleasure
After recording only one triple through the first 43 games, Nebraska has legged out two triples in the past six games, with both coming during a four-game stretch. Junior Trisha Tannahill tripled against Northern Colorado in the second game of a doubleheader on April 21 and fellow junior Elizabeth Rock hit the Huskers' first triple in a Big 12 game this season on April 27. Rock's triple against Iowa State proved to be the game winner, as she drove in three runs to break a 5-5 tie in the eighth inning with her first career triple.

Steffan Draws Walks
Senior Anne Steffan, who had drawn only eight walks through the first 47 games, coaxed a career-high three against Iowa State on April 27, including the first intentional pass of her career. Prior to that game, Steffan had never drawn more than one walk in 215 career games.

Happy Fielding
Nebraska struggled with its fielding as it experimented with several different alignments earlier this season, but has been solid defensively since Big 12 play began. The Huskers, who were fielding at a .955 clip during the non-conference season, boast a .972 fielding percentage in league games. That percentage ranks second in conference-only games.

Sheena Lawrick, Elizabeth Rock and Jamie Waldecker have each been error-free while starting every Big 12 game.

Stolen Base Duo
Senior Anne Steffan and junior Jessica Yoachim are the most lethal base-stealing duo ever to play at Nebraska. Steffan (30 steals) and Yoachim (26 steals), who hit 1-2 in NU's lineup, each rank in the top seven in stolen bases in school single-season history. The 56 combined stolen bases are a school record for most stolen bases by teammates in a season, topping Kim Ogee (31) and Lisa Wangler (21), who stole 52 bases combined during the 2002 season.

Kleinsmith Stepping Up
Freshman Cassie Kleinsmith, who has started 35 games this season, has started the Huskers' last six games in left field in place of the injured Carmen Kier.

Kier, who left NU's game with Texas Tech on April 17 in the  the second inning, is expected back this week. In the meantime, Kleinsmith has stepped up in her absence.

Kleinsmith immediately showed she was ready for the increased role as she hit safely in three of her four starts after Kier's injury, posting a team-best .444 average (4-for-9) for the week of April 20. She also added the first two doubles of her career in back-to-back games against Northern Colorado and Oklahoma State.

Kleinsmith also provided a clutch two-out, two-run single on April 30 against Oklahoma that proved critical in the Huskers' 6-4 upset victory over the No. 10 Sooners.

RPI Simulation
The National FastPitch Coaches Association (NFCA) released a simulated Rating Percentage Index (RPI) on May 6. NU came in at No. 28 on the RPI bolstered by a schedule that ranked as the 17th-toughest in the nation.

The simulated RPI is designed to predict the official RPI the NCAA uses to determine selection and seeding for the NCAA Tournament.

Stealing 30
Senior Anne Steffan has 30 stolen bases this season, a her career high and just one shy of the school record. Kim Ogee currently holds the single-season school record with 31 stolen bases in 2002. Steffan joined Ogee as the only Huskers in school history to steal 30 bases in a season, while junior Jessica Yoachim has stolen 26 bases this season and could also reach the 30-steals mark.

NU vs. Ranked Teams
NU is 6-10 this season against ranked teams after splitting a pair of games with 15th-ranked Missouri over the weekend. The Huskers have posted victories over then-No. 14 Washington, then-No. 16 Oregon State, then-No. 15 Georgia Tech, then-No. 9 Baylor and then-No. 10 Oklahoma, in addition to a 2-1 victory over the Tigers on Saturday. NU is 3-3 in its last six games against ranked teams, splitting two-game series against Baylor, Oklahoma and Missouri, all on the road.

School-Record Streak Ends
Senior Anne Steffan went 0-for-4 on March 25 against Texas A&M to end her school-record 26-game hitting streak. She quickly responded by going 2-for-3 in the series finale and has hit safely in 43 of 52 games this year.

Steffan Joins Elite List
Senior Anne Steffan, who has already etched her name into several categories in Nebraska's record books, joined another elite list on April 21 against Northern Colorado. In that game, Steffan recorded her 70th hit of the season. Currently with a team-high 75 hits, she is one of only seven players in school history to record 70 hits in a season, and she has accomplished the feat twice. Steffan recorded 74 hits in 2004 and with back-to-back 70-hit seasons, she joins Ali Viola and Tobin Echo-Hawk as the only Huskers to accomplish that feat.

Career Best for Borg
Sophomore right-hander Jaime Borg enjoyed perhaps the best start of her career against Northern Colorado on April 21. Borg threw a career-high six innings, topping her previous high of 4.1. She allowed only one earned run on three hits. The one earned run was her career-low in a start. Borg also picked up the third victory of her career in the game.

Career First for DeBuhr
Sophomore right-hander Ashley DeBuhr picked up the first save of her career in Nebraska's win over Northern Colorado on April 21. DeBuhr entered the game in the top of the seventh with the Huskers' leading 3-2 and a runner on second base and no outs. She made quick work of the three hitters she faced, striking out all three to pick up the save.

Stealing an Advantage
Nebraska has enjoyed a decisive advantage in stolen bases over its opponents this season. Nebraska has stolen 87 bases in 103 attempts (85 percent). While the Huskers have swiped 87 bases, opponents have only stolen 14 bases in 25 attempts (56 percent).

Patient Hitting
Nebraska has drawn 129 walks this season, an average of nearly than two-and-a-half per game. The walks total has helped NU post an impressive .355 on-base percentage. Although complete on-base percentage statistics are unavailable, this year’s Huskers would rank third in school history in on-base percentage. NU drew 13 walks in 13 innings during a two-game series with Oklahoma State April 23 and 24.

Hit Parade
Five Huskers have recorded 10 or more multi-hit games this season. Senior Anne Steffan leads the team with 24 multi-hit performances through 52 games. Juniors Elizabeth Rock (17), Jessica Yoachim (15) and Trisha Tannahill (13) and senior Sheena Lawrick (14) have also reached double-digits in the category. In all, 11 of Nebraska’s 12 position players have recorded a multi-hit game and as a team, NU has recorded 102 multi-hit games this season. A season-high five Huskers recorded multi-hit games at Iowa State on April 27.

RBI Parade
Senior Sheena Lawrick and sophomore Jamie Waldecker have combined for 21 multi-RBI games in 52 contests this season. Even more impressive is the fact that as a team, NU has produced 44 multi-RBI games and 10 of the Huskers’ 12 position players have recorded a multi-RBI game this season. A season-high four Huskers recorded multi-RBI games at Iowa State on April 27.

Perfection
Sophomore right-hander Ashley DeBuhr tossed her first career perfect game and only the third in school history in the Huskers' 2-0 victory over Iowa State on April 13.

Following an hour and a half delay due to a scheduling problem with the umpires, DeBuhr made quick work of the Cyclones, retiring all 21 batters she faced on just 81 pitches.

She allowed only two balls to leave the infield and racked up 10 strikeouts, including a punch-out of Jessica Quade with two outs in the seventh inning to complete the perfect game.

DeBuhr's Career Week
Sophomore right-hander Ashley DeBuhr pitched every inning of Nebraska’s four games the week of April 13, posting a 3-1 record for the week, including a perfect 3-0 mark in Big 12 Conference games. Against Iowa State on April 13, DeBuhr recorded the first perfect game of her career and only the third in school history. She retired all 21 batters she faced in the Huskers’ 2-0 victory, including 10 via the strikeout. She finished the week recording double-digit strikeouts in three of the four games.

For the week, DeBuhr posted a microscopic 0.72 ERA, allowing just three earned runs in 29.1 innings. She also finished with one shutout and four complete games. Perhaps most impressive was DeBuhr’s strikeout-to-walk ratio. DeBuhr racked up 37 strikeouts while walking just three to finish with a whopping 12-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Opponents hit just .133 against her that week, managing only 13 hits in 98 at bats.

In league games only, DeBuhr went 3-0 with a 0.67 ERA and struck out 25 in 21 innings. Her only loss of the week came in a 1-0 nine-inning defeat to 22nd-ranked Creighton, although DeBuhr only surrendered four hits in the loss, including three infield singles.
 For her efforts, DeBuhr was named the Big 12 Pitcher of the Week, the first honor of her career.

Steffan Reaches Another Milestone
Senior Anne Steffan went 1-for-5 against ninth-ranked Baylor on April 10 to record the 200th hit of her career.

With the hit, Steffan became just the seventh player in school history to record 200 career hits. She is currently in sixth place on the all-time NU hit list.

Steffan is also one of just six players in NU history to record 200 hits and 100 runs scored in a career. She has scored 125 runs to date, which is tied for seventh place all-time at Nebraska.

In the Clutch
Sophomore Devin Porter has provided several clutch hits for the Nebraska softball team this season. Porter recorded the game-winning RBI in four of the Huskers' five games at the Shocker Invitational March 11-13 and leads the team with six game-winning RBIs. On the season, Porter ranks third on the team with 19 RBIs. Porter drove in the game-tying run in the fourth inning against fifth-ranked Texas before NU eventually fell 3-1. It was NU's only run scored against the Longhorns.

Last season Porter had only two game-winning RBIs and 10 total RBIs.

Tough Losses
Nebraska has lost six times in its last 18 games, but two of those losses could have easily been NU victories. The Huskers' lost three one-run leads, including two in extra innings, in a 6-3 defeat to No. 9 Baylor on April 10. NU also dropped a 1-0 setback at No. 22 Creighton on April 14 as CU managed just four hits, while NU left 10 on base. Of the six losses, four were at ranked teams.

The Huskers are 32-2 this season when they out-hit their opponents with the losses coming to Baylor and Creighton. Nebraska is 1-5 this season in extra inning games, with an eight-inning victory over Iowa State on April 27 being the Huskers' lone extra-inning win.

Revelle Earns 500th Victories
Head Coach Rhonda Revelle won her 500th career game on March 19 when the Huskers blanked Cal-State Fullerton 8-0 at the Kia Klassic. Revelle is one of 38 active coaches to reach the milestone. She also earned her 500th victory at Nebraska in the Huskers' 3-2 win over Texas Tech on April 17.

Earlier this season, Revelle won her 475th game at Nebraska on Feb. 13 when NU defeated 16th-ranked Oregon State, 4-3, at the Louisville Slugger UNLV Desert Classic in Las Vegas.
 Revelle's 475th victory also marked the 950th win in the history of Nebraska softball.

Power Stretch
Sophomore Jamie Waldecker hit more home runs in a 10-game stretch from March 17 to March 30 than she did in her first year and a half as a Husker when she went deep four times. A proven run producer, Waldecker is tied for the team lead with a career-high six round-trippers following a solo blast Saturday against Missouri.

Senior Sheena Lawrick and junior Trisha Tannahill, who each homered at No. 9 Baylor, have also set single-season career highs in home runs this season. Lawrick shares the team lead with six home runs, while Tannahill has belted three round-trippers this season, after hitting just one in each of her first two seasons.

100-Hit Club
Junior Jessica Yoachim recorded the 100th hit of her career against Texas on April 2. The hit was not only a milestone for Yoachim, but proved to be the only hit the Huskers would muster off All-American Cat Osterman. Yoachim also became just the second left-handed hitter to get a hit off Osterman in 94 at bats this season.

Senior Sheena Lawrick also recorded her 100th hit against North Dakota State on April 6.

Junior Trisha Tannahill reached the milestone earlier this season, singling in the second inning against Wichita State on March 13, marking the 100th hit of her career. Senior Anne Steffan entered the season with 137 hits in her career.

Connected to the Program
Head Coach Rhonda Revelle, who is in her 13th year in charge of the Husker program, and Associate Head Coach Lori Sippel, who is in her 16th year, have been integral in the history of Nebraska softball. As both a player and coach, Revelle has been a part 583 of NU's 976 all-time victories. Throw in Sippel's four-year playing totals and four years she coached before Revelle arrived, and Revelle and Sippel have been a part of 739 of the program's 976 victories.

Big Innings
Nebraska has been prone to producing big innings this season. In total, NU has scored in 104 innings in 2005 and has produced three or more runs in 29 of those frames. When the Huskers score a run in an inning, 28 percent of the time they add at least two more runs in that frame. Nebraska has also added eight innings where five or more runs have crossed the plate, including a six-run eighth inning on April 27 against Iowa State.

Superb Seniors
Senior Sheena Lawrick is enjoying a tremendous senior season. She has reached base safely in 45 of Nebraska's 52 games this season. She is fourth on the team with a .331 average while pacing NU with 12 doubles, six home runs, 45 RBIs, a .534 slugging percentage and 31 walks and ranks second with a .448 on-base percentage. Lawrick has also recorded a team-high 13 multi-RBI games. Two times this season Lawrick has reached base safely on seven consecutive at bats.

Lawrick ranks in the top 10 in the Big 12 in three categories (games through May 1). She ranks second in the league with 30 walks, seventh with a .458 on-base percentage, and seventh with 45 RBIs. Lawrick also ranks 24th in the league with a .343 average.

Senior Anne Steffan is also having a fine senior season. Steffan leads the team with a .414 average, 30 stolen bases and 75 hits and ranks second with 38 runs scored. On pace to put her name on several single-season school charts, Steffan had her school-record 26-game hitting streak snapped against Texas A&M. Steffan leads the team with 24 multi-hit games.

Steffan ranks in the top five in the conference in four offensive categories (games through May 1). She is second in average (.426) and hits (75), third in stolen bases (30) and is sixth in on-base percentage (.466).

Career Year for Lawrick
Senior Sheena Lawrick is enjoying a career season in 2005. Lawrick, who is fourth on the team with a .331 average, has already set single-season career highs in total bases (79), home runs (6), RBIs (45), runs scored (29) and stolen bases (8). Her six home runs are two more than she had in each of the 2003 and 2004 seasons. Lawrick’s 45 RBIs are 21 more than she had in 36 games last season, and her eight stolen bases are seven more than her previous career high and six more than her three-year career total before this season. Her 29 runs scored are also a career high, six more than she had last season.

Lawrick has also drawn a career-high 31 walks this season to become only the eighth player in school history to record 30 walks in a season.

Lawrick also hit safely in a career-high eight games earlier this season.

Record-Setting Day
On Feb. 19, two Nebraska single-game records fell in the same game as NU defeated Texas-San Antonio 14-6 in six innings.

Senior Sheena Lawrick hit a three-run home run in her first at bat and then drew four consecutive walks. The four walks were a single-game Nebraska record, breaking the previous mark of three. None were intentional.

Not to be outdone, junior Jessica Yoachim went 5-for-5 against the Roadrunners to set the mark for the most hits in a game of seven innings or fewer. Yoachim broke the previous mark of four hits.

Career Fair
Senior Kira Boerkircher and juniors Katie Linke and KoKo Tacha have already established single-season career highs in several categories.

Boerkircher has not only surpassed her previous career highs, but has also surpassed some of her previous career totals, as she has seen the most playing time of her career in 2005. Her 15 starts, 43 at bats and five RBIs are more than her previous three seasons combined. Her four hits are a new single-season  high, as are her four total bases. She also needs just one walk to set her career high for walks in a season.

Linke has drawn a career-high 10 walks this season and has hit a career-high two doubles, which tied her previous career total. She needs just three runs and two RBIs  to set career highs in each respective category.

Tacha has set career highs of 19 starts, 57 at bats, 11 hits, one home run, 15 total bases, five walks, nine put outs and one assist, and her eight RBIs are just one shy of matching her career high.

Steffan Reaches Milestones
Senior Anne Steffan reached a pair of milestones in Nebraska's 4-2 win over New Mexico State on Feb. 20.

Steffan went 3-for-4 and her third hit was the 150th of her career. Steffan also scored one run in the game, the 100th run scored of her career.